Causes of the Civil War Flashcards
What two things did King Charles believe in?
Believed in the Divine Right of Kings - the belief that a king’s right to rule came directly from God and that they cannot be judged by anyone but God and Royal prerogative - the king could exercise ultimate political power over parliament.
What was Charles’ religion?
Protestant
Why did people suspect Charles to be a secret Catholic?
He preferred church ceremonies to be grand and full of ritual and colour. The king and the archbishop laud made the church more catholic (richly decorated.) he also married a French Catholic princess called Henrietta Maria. this lead puritans to believe Charles was a secret catholic, that he was sympathetic towards Catholicism / influenced by his catholic wife and worried that he wanted to bring it back.
Why was Charles unpopular with parliament?
Charles has constant arguments with parliament over many political issues. He locked out Members of Parliament for 11 years from 1629 to 1640 causing political tension. This was known as the 11 years of Tyranny.
Why was Charles unpopular with ordinary people?
He created a tax called ‘Ship Money’ where Charles demanded that everyone in the country pay it and all of the time. This angered many people who didn’t live by the coast because they didn’t understand why they needed to pay for defence if it wouldn’t affect them.
Why did the Scots dislike Charles?
In 1637, Charles tried to impose a new prayer book on the Scots - causing a religious war with england
What actually triggered the Civil war?
In 1642, Charles attempted to arrest his 5 leading critics in parliament.
